Resident of Special Commitment Center Found Guilty of Drug Distribution Conspiracy, Witness Tampering Defendant Manipulated Multiple Women, SCC Employee for His Scheme

LAWRENCE WILLIAMS, 52, a resident of the Special Commitment Center (SCC) on McNeil Island, Washington, was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma of Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine and Witness Tampering. The jury deliberated for one and one half hours following a three and half day trial. The scheme was uncovered in July 2008, when the FBI intercepted the delivery of crack cocaine that WILLIAMS had planned to pick up at the mail room and distribute in the secure facility. WILLIAMS faces a mandatory minimum 5 years and up to 40 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle on July 12, 2010.

According to testimony at trial, WILLIAMS used his telephone privileges to manipulate women living outside the SCC for his own benefit. WILLIAMS called telephone chat lines, without revealing that he was a resident of a treatment facility for violent sex offenders. In one instance he told the woman he was a firefighter in Oregon, and through various means convinced the woman and others to assist him with acquiring drugs to distribute in the SCC. WILLIAMS convinced one woman, a former nurse at the SCC, to become involved with him romantically. This woman’s contract was terminated and she was banned from the SCC in 2006, because of her inappropriate relationship with WILLIAMS. The nurse provided WILLIAMS with more than $250,000, which he used to woo other women and to pay for drugs and pornography to be smuggled into the SCC. According to testimony at trial WILLIAMS convinced various women to appear in pornographic videos which he directed by phone from the SCC. WILLIAMS then threatened to send the videos to the women’s employer if she did not continue to assist with his smuggling plan. WILLIAMS paid an employee in the SCC mail room to assist in the smuggling scheme. The employee has been fired, and will be sentenced for his role in the conspiracy later this year.

After the smuggling conspiracy was uncovered, WILLIAMS called one of the women he had manipulated and told her to lie to the FBI and get rid of a car, that he had purchased for her, that had been used in the drug delivery. That conduct resulted in his conviction for Witness Tampering.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Washington State Patrol, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bruce Miyake and Jill Otake.

For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@USDOJ.Gov.